Building My Studio

December 13, 2016

Yes, its still winter...brrrrr and it's here in full POLAR VORTEX today! But this was a surprise for me. When Fifi was here shooting my house (that is no longer my house), she zipped on over to the shop and snapped a few.

It was also exciting to see what Sharon wrote about us, bravo, it's all very flattering. Even Bob thinks so. Though he admits he's not so good with the delicate wrapping that I do when packing the orders. He prefers to use a hammer and table saw, thank goodness.

Most of the shop at the time these pictures were taken, was a big mess. Thankfully Shari was here to help me out with a few displays. You see we were only open one weekend a month, so during the rest of the time we just threw stuff around.

But, when March or April come around we should be ready with our totally new shop. It's going to be different that it ever has been, but of course that's the evolution of retail, well creative retail. And we are planning to be open more regularly. As long as there are customers that is.

If you get a chance to pick up a copy of the Spring issue, available everywhere now, you will also get to read about Junk Bonanza which happens in April, (we'll be one of the vendors there too!) and some gorgeous homes including Amy Chalmers, see the cover? Trust me, this is a good issue.

April 28, 2012

We are in the middle of a re-modeling project in an undisclosed location, here in Stillwater MN. We decided to completely re-do a couple of rooms in our older building, to put our new Studio shop into.

{Hopefully you have registered your email with us so that you already know that our Main Street shop has MOVED! We are open just down the street in "The Grand Garage".}

And soooooon we will also have this "Studio" shop which will be housing all the wonderful creative supplies and holding classes etc. The best part, it has it's own parking lot!!

So here are some pictures, taken even before we acquired it. Lovely isn't it? Hmmm kind of average office style. Let's shake things up a bit.

The first thing we did was to rip up the office carpeting, remove the drop ceiling and knock down a wall.

{We're actually using that desk and credenza in the office!}{Now you see it....}{Now you don't}Moving right along Bob is, oh wait I took down the lovely raspberry pleated shades! He's just taking down the brackets. Gosh I almost gave him all the credit! :-))Now we need a vestibule to keep the cold drafts from chasing everyone already in, away. Would you get on that Bob?

April 18, 2011

It's late Sunday Evening and alas I did not finish the quilt wall. But I did finish the left side which allows me to share the hanging light that I made for it.

This is a larger version of the { Millinery Lampshade Project,} one that I made a while back. This one is finished with two rows of vintage horsehair millinery braid in a lovely shade of Robin's Egg Blue, and a crushed velvet ribbon and bow. {I crushed it to look like it's been there for a while, even though the ribbon is vintage.}

On the right side of the room is this one's sister; same foundation but less fussy and a bit more modern, but with vintage millinery trim none-the-less. {Typical sisters.}

Check back later when the right side wall quilt is done, along with the picture of the sister pendant light.

Oh, I almost forgot, this and the smaller version lamp shade will be my next workshop!!!

April 17, 2011

Today I am going to finish up wallpapering my studio wall. For months and months I have been trying to decide which wallpaper I should use for the window wall. I had gone through my extensive vintage stash, but there just was not enough of one pattern to cover the entire wall. I ordered samples from "Farrow and Ball" {wow $329 per roll!}, and even ordered a couple more rolls of vintage paper. But I just couldn't decide!

Then it hit me while reading some of the quilting books we carry in the shop. Why not make a patchwork wallpaper quilt with all of my favorites?

I had to decide the shape and size of each piece, and if I wanted a pattern of some kind. The interaction between light and dark patterns etc. Gosh what you quilters go through, I have a renewed appreciation for even the simplest of quilts. {Someday I will make a real one.}

To finish it off I glued shell buttons at the intersections.

A different wall, just to share.

The wallpapering is not done yet, but I wanted to share what I have started. The pictures are only showing one area, and today, yes today, I will finish the wall! {I also made a couple of straw lamp shades chandeliers to hang over the sewing machine and drawer cabinet, you will see in the finished pics.}

May 18, 2010

We went with an "Engineered 5" Oak Plank floating floor. First a plastic barrier goes down on top of the cement (radiant heat) sub-floor.

Then its plank by plank knocking in each strip, being careful around the edges to cut where needed. Okay so I am not to technical here, Bob did the hard part with help from my dad Charlie and me later. We are very happy with the results.

May 13, 2010

I love color, I love to pick out paint colors, but it's not easy. After purchasing 9 different pints of similar blue/gray/greens for the trim, we ended up with the most grayish one, which was the first one I picked out. It is called Grey Wist.

We thought long and hard about what trim to paint what color, and came up with this plan; paint the windows, doors and baseboards the gray, and the crown molding, and bookcases a trim paint of the same color as the new wall paint, which is called French Canvass. It is in the white family - LOVE it!